Precision farming has evolved to address the needs of farmers to achieve optimal results in obtaining a high yield crop efficiently and economically. One aspect of precision farming is known as precision yield mapping. Yield mapping is essential to monitor the amount of yield, i.e., the yield per acre, in an agricultural field. Precision yield mapping enables a farmer to determine areas of the field which require special attention, such as applications of fertilizers and chemicals, which may not be needed in other portions of the field.
Historically, yield per acre has been estimated by dividing the total yield by the number of acres traversed. This gives an average yield for the entire area, but does not determine yield in specific locations of interest. For example, a ten acre plot may yield a quantity of bushels of crop per acre, but the specific yield at any portion of the ten acre plot is not readily determined.
With the advancements made in position determining technology, such as GPS position determining, yield per acre may be determined with respect to the position of a harvesting machine as the crop is harvested. This yield per acre determination may be mapped to a terrain database map to help establish a fairly accurate representation of areas in the field which require special attention due to low yields. However, these determinations are typically performed by multiplying the full width of the cutter bar on the harvesting machine by the distance the machine has traversed, thus determining an area of a rectangle covered by the cutter bar. The accuracy of the yield determinations are compromised in areas where the crop being harvested does not extend for the entire width of the cutter bar, such as around the perimeter of the field or when harvesting a narrow row of crop.
The present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems as set forth above.